89R25546 TBO-D
By: Paul H.C.R. No. 141
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Since its founding in 1958, the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration has been a leader in space exploration,
and the city of Houston has played an instrumental role in advancing
the agency's mission; and
WHEREAS, Nicknamed "Space City," Houston has long been at the
forefront of human spaceflight development; the city famously
served as the site for NASA's mission control during the first moon
landing in 1969, and some of the first words spoken on the surface
of the moon called out to Houston; in addition, the Lyndon B.
Johnson Space Center is located in Houston, and with more than
12,000 employees, the facility encompasses a large portion of the
NASA workforce; the city is also home to the Mission Control Center,
NASA Astronaut Corps, Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility, commercial
space agreements, and extensive research and development
partnerships; and
WHEREAS, Despite having historic ties to Houston, NASA
established its headquarters in Washington, D.C., an area that is
disconnected from most of the agency's centers and facilities; that
decision has separated NASA's leadership from the agency's
workforce and day-to-day activities; in 2028, at the end of the
lease for its current headquarters, NASA will have the opportunity
to move its leadership to a new site, and Houston would be a fitting
location for the facility; situated at the center of NASA's
operations, the city has a cost of living that is less than half
that of the Washington, D.C., area, and it provides access to three
universities with R1 designations as well as two major commercial
airports; and
WHEREAS, Houston also offers tremendous benefits from its
connection to Texas, which boasts the eighth-largest economy in the
world, with low government regulation and a strong business
environment; more than 2,000 aerospace, aviation, and
defense-related companies have established locations in the state,
including SpaceX in Starbase, Blue Origin in West Texas, Firefly
Aerospace in Cedar Park, and Axiom Space in Houston; moreover, the
State of Texas recently created the Texas Space Commission to
promote innovation in space operations and commercial aerospace and
to attract commercial space ventures to the state; and
WHEREAS, No city is more closely linked to America's space
program than "Space City," and NASA's headquarters should be
located at a place where the agency's leadership can directly
engage with its most critical missions; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to move
NASA's headquarters to Houston; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.